1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a printing unit supply system for supplying the printing members (an ink tank, a head tank or a head) that are used in accordance with the newly enhanced functions of a printing apparatus to meet the marketing environment of printing apparatuses.
More particularly, the invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus having an exchangeable or detachably mountable ink tank, ink jet head, ink jet head integrally formed with an ink tank, or the like mounted on the apparatus for its use. The invention further relates to the additional provision of an effective structure practically applicable to the printing apparatus when exchanging or detachably mounting the ink jet printing members on the apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
For an ink jet printing system adoptable as the typical printing unit supply system, the ink jet printing apparatuses are on the main current. It is arranged for them to mount on its traveling type carriage exchangeable or detachably mountable ink jet printing members, such as an ink tank, an ink jet head, or an ink jet head integrally formed with an ink tank.
Many ink jet printing apparatuses have been materialized with the provisions of functions to meet various demands. As a result, the amount of stored ink, kinds of ink, and the structures of discharge ports for discharging ink should be made different in accordance with the functions required for those different ink jet printing apparatuses.
In this respect, there has been a mode in which heads, formed integrally with the respective ink tanks serving as plural ink jet printing members, are exchangeably used for one ink jet printing apparatus. In this case, it is possible to use them economically by selecting an ink jet printing member in accordance with a printing mode to be applied. For example, if monochromatic recording is made by use of a color recording ink jet printing member, an erroneous recording may be brought about or only ink for monochromatic recording is consumed, leading to an extremely uneconomical operation eventually. For the execution of a monochromatic recording, an effective printing is possible just by using an ink jet recording member retaining ink only for monochromatic recording. Any erroneous mounting of a member for different use may invite an improper operation.
An erroneous mounting of the kind has been detected for correction by the application of electrical identification. As a result, it takes time before the operator is informed of such erroneous mounting. This delay presents a drawback in carrying out the intended operation efficiently.
In order to control such mounting as described above, it has been tried to provide an additional structure. For example, there is arranged a mounting structure that can be shared by a color ink tank and a monochromatic ink tank so as to enable them to be mounted on a carriage as required. In addition to this sharable structure, extrusions are also provided for ink tanks, while escapes are arranged in specific locations on the carriage where the ink tanks are mounted in order to receive such extrusions of the ink tanks, among other controlling measures.
In such case as described above, it is required for a printing apparatus, having a new function additionally provided, to be able to mount any one of new and old ink jet printing members on the apparatus. For example, the one to be used for color printing should of course be capable of mounting a new ink jet printing member for color printing use, but this apparatus is also required to be usable for the conventional ink jet printing member for use of the monochromatic recording. On the contrary, however, the printing apparatus of the conventional type cannot use the new ink jet printing member or it is unnecessary for such apparatus to be provided with any of the new ink jet printing members. (For example, the ink jet printing member for color recording cannot be used for the ink jet printing apparatus for use of the monochromatic recording described above.) Therefore, in order to avoid any confusion on the operator's part, there is a need for the provision of a structure that disables any one of the new ink jet printing members to be mounted on such conventional apparatus.
There are also problems being encountered in the provision of the ink jet printing members themselves. Such problems are mainly caused by the way of mounting them on the apparatus. When a plurality of ink jet printing members should be mounted on the specific kind of the apparatus, the designing and manufacture of such members are complicated and different from each other for each kind of apparatus, thus resulting in higher manufacturing costs, although there is no problem in effecting its mounting and making identification between the members, because individual designing of each member is possible for every kind of the apparatus.
Also, for the implementation of cost reduction, it may be possible to unify the ink jet printing members, but in this case, too, the provision of additional extrusions and escapes to receive such extrusions should be provided in order to enable them to be identified between them distinctly. Therefore, a problem is still encountered that the manufacturing costs become higher to the extent that such additional components should be provided for attaining the purpose.